Continuous Insulation (C.I.): Not a Code Requirement

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It is not. There are several options to pass the energy code; prescriptive, trade off (COMcheck™) and whole building analysis. Within the prescriptive method there are 2 tables which can be used to pass the code, the R-value and theU-factor table. Only the R-value table has the CI requirement. Why you might ask? This table considers the insulation performance only and not the other components of the wall assembly. While this is the simplest way to pass, it is also the most restrictive. The U-factor table considers the whole assembly, including the insulation, and offers a bit more flexibility. For a typical assembly with 4” CMU veneer, 3” of rigid insulation (R-15) and an 8” LW block backup, adding up R-values of the elements (including the air space, drywall, etc.) gives us an R-value of around 19.06. Taking the inverse, the U-factor ends up being .052. The IECC 2012 & 2015 climate zone 5 requirement for mass walls is a U of .09 (R-11.11). This wall assembly will exceed the energy code by 70% and have an overall thickness of 16”. To get the same thermal performance out of an assembly without thermal mass benefits (steel & wood), more insulation would be required. Less thermal mass equals more insulation… and it would not have the resiliency of a mass structure. Other ways to pass the energy code without the CI requirement are the trade-off method (COMcheck™) and whole building analysis. These methods offer more flexibility and also do not require continuous insulation. More next time….

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Heidi Jandris is a technical expert and trusted voice of the industry. She part of the family business’s 3rd generation, grew up immersed in all things concrete block and worked as a welder at the plant before getting her BArch at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn NY. She is the Sustainability Manager and provides technical and design services for A. Jandris & Sons.